Holding means for dentures



Jan. 3-, 1928..

w. E. ApAMs nowrue mews FOR nsmunss Filed} Feb- 14, 1924 Patented Jan.3, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILBER EARLADAMS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

HOLDING MEANS FOR DENTURES.

Application filed February 14, 1924. Serial No. 692,744.

This invention relates to holding means for dentures, and my inventionaims to furnish an artificial denture or plate with a sanitary devicefor retaining a denture, plate or other member against the roof, palateor tissues of the mouth to avoid any wobbling, shifting, abrasive orirritating action of the denture in the mouth, thus relieving the Wearof a denture ofany conscious effort of keeping the denture in place. Byfirmly anchoring the denture on the palate there may be propermastication of food and a hygienic or sanitary condition can bemaintained within the mouth conducive to good health.

My invention further aims to furnish a. denture with a non-vulcanizingsuction member that is firmly anchored in the denture and easy to flexand produce a suction action which will cause the denture to firmlyadhere to the palate until forcibly removed. There are various ways ofanchoring the suction member in the denture andon account of denturesvarying in configuration it is obvious that the suction members may bemade of various sizes and shapes. It is in this connection that myinvention aims to provide a Suction member of maximum size that may bereduced for fitting to any size of denture, thus obviating the necessityof a dentist maintaining a stock. of suction member on hand forapplication to various kinds of dentures.

My invention will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimedand ref erence will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is alongitudinal sectional view of a denture provided with a suction member;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the denture and suction member;

Fig. 3 is a'plan of the suction member removed from the denture, and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view of the same mounted in a denture.

In the drawing, the reference numeral 1 denotes a denture or platehaving an opening 2, and 3 denotes a flexible or resilient suctionmember having marginal edges 4 embedded in the wall of the opening 2.This is accomplished when making the denture. The suction member 3 ispreferably of metal or a non-vulcanizing material and said suctionmember is set in the mold in which the 'duction of atmospheric dentureis made by vulcanizing rubber or other material, so that when thedenture is complete the marginal edges of the suction member are firmlyand neatly anchored in the Wall of the opening 2.

The suction member 3 has its greater portlon concavo-convex,particularly within the boundary of a depressed or bead-like rim 5 whichcontributes towards the flexibility or resiliency ofthe suction member,to permit of said suction member being pressed by a finger piece in themouth to reverse the convexity of the suction member, whereby air willbe expelled from the opening 2, between the suction member and the roofor palate 6 of the mouth 7. When the suction member assumes normalposition, as shown in Fig. 1, a partial vacuum will have been producedbetween said suction member and the palate 6 and a constant reduction ofatmospheric pressure between the suction member and'the palate will tendto firmly hold the denture 1 against the palate.

There are various ways in which the suction member may be anchored inthe walls of the opening 2. For instance, in Figs. 3 and 4, I show themarginal edges 4 of the suction member 3 provided with a series of slotsor openings 8 and when the suction member has the denture molded aboutit the denture material enters the slots or openings 8 and positivelyanchors the suction member within the opening 2, with the, rim 5contiguous to the walls of said opening.

What I claim is In a denture having an opening, a flexiblenon-vulcanizable suction producing member of relatively thin material,said member having a depressed portion adjacent its edges and openingsbetween said depressed portion and the edges of said member, said memberhaving its edgesanchored in and between the upper and lower faces of thedenture with the denture material entering the openings of said member,so that the member will be firmly held and permit of an exposed portionof said member wholly within the denture opening being manually flexedupwardly for air excluding purposes and said member stressed to theextent of rebounding when released for producing a denture holding re-'ressure. In testimony whereof ailix my signature.

WILBER EARL ADAMS.

